Mindset of past needs to altered: Mushahid
By Adnan Rafique

ISLAMABAD—Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed on Sunday hosted a luncheon in honor of the visiting former Indian diplomats here at the Senate.
In his welcome address, he termed the visit of former Indian ambassadors historic as they have availed the chance to closely observing the power transition through democratic process. “You are here during interesting times here as we are going to start a new era of democracy,” Mushahid remarked.
He was of the view that resolution of longstanding issues between Pakistan and India required a broader national consensus among the people living across the border.
“Mindsets of past need to be altered and there should be harmonizing in the Indo-Pak relations. The war is a history and none of us can afford it again because both the states have acquired nuclear weapons now.”
“Masses seek better tomorrow- free from problems and want;,” he said, adding,”the time has arrived to come more closer to each other.”
Meanwhile, Head of the India’s former diplomats association Ishrat Aziz, wished Pakistani nation a bright future of democracy and said the time demands from governments of both the countries to think of the people and their demands.
He said their delegation arrived in Pakistan for goodwill, promotion of understanding and read the concepts of peace from common men’s perspective.
“We are former ambassadors and private citizens but our experience is valuable,” he said, adding,” the globalization demands us to change the mindsets and persue concept of regionalism.”
Zahid Aziz, Head of the former Pakistani diplomats, said the senior delegations from both sides have discussed the options for normalization of relations instead of confrontation.
The reception was also attended by Indian ambassador to Pakistan Satiapal Bharta, former ambassadors Aziz Ahmed Khan, Dr Humayun Khan, Dr Maqbool Bhatti, Tayab Siddiqui, Akram Zaki, Khalid Saeed, Senator Hafiz Rashid, MNAs Marvi Memon and Noshen Saeed among the others.
He noted the relations between Pakistan and India had witnessed improvement during the past years and people to people contacts had generated harmonious environment between the two countries.
He announced if Pakistan had not conducted nuclear blasts after nuclear explosions on the part of India, the balance of power in the region would have been upset.. Nuclearisation of both the countries had also led to scale down the differences between the both sides. “We had indicated to the then Indian Prime Minister Attal Behari Vajpayee in 1999 that if India had not gone nuclear, Pakistan would not have headed towards this direction, he added.
He went on to say both losers and winners had accepted the results of fair and transparent elections in Pakistan.
Ishrat Aziz, chairman of Association of Indian diplomats and former Indian envoy to Pakistan said their visit to Pakistan was aimed at forging harmony among the people of both the countries. The pace at which globalization was moving ahead, we will have to bury our differences and make strides towards positive direction at the same tempo, he added.
Indian high commissioner to Pakistan and former Indian envoys including Raj Gopalan, Gurbachan Singh, Narnjan Desai and former Pakistani envoys to India including Zahid Saeed, Dr Hummayun Khan, Akram Zakki, Khalid Saeed and others were also present on the occasion.
“We have to bury the bitterness of the yesteryear and make collaborative efforts for establishment of peace. We will have to find out solution to Kashmir problem through dialogue in democratic manner:, he said this while addressing the reception hosted in honor of former envoys of both Pakistan and India here Sunday.